Monday, September 29, 2014

Everyone becomes anxious about attending a high school
reunion, but not Shelly. Graduation 1989 was the last time she saw her
classmates. Thanks to Shelly’s active involvement in the Wendell Foster’s Campus
No R Word campaign, Shelly got that
chance.

“On our way to a school presentation, Shelly and I talked
about her high school days, and she told me she had never attended a class
reunion,” Carolyn Ferber, Community Education Coordinator, explains. When they figured
out 2014 marked her 25th reunion, Shelly decided she wanted to make
sure she went this year. They called her alma mater, Hancock County High School,
asking if they knew of any plans for a reunion. The school suggested they check
the local paper. Shelly put her family on alert to watch for reunion notices.

A few weeks later, Carolyn received an email from Michelle Gregory,
a teacher at North Hancock Elementary School in Hawesville, and participant in
the No R Word program. Gregory also happened
to be Shelly’s classmate. “We couldn’t believe it!She asked me to pass along to Shelly info about
their class reunion on May 24.” Shelly made arrangements
with her staff for her to go.

“I had the best time!” Shelly shares. “I remembered faces,
but not everyone’s names. Everyone came over to talk to me. Many had seen me in
the newspaper or heard about my work with Wendell Foster.” Michelle agreed the
reunion was good for Shelly, but thought it was even better for their
classmates. “It was good for our classmates to see Shelly, because they saw her
in a different light, as a real person. Any walls created in people’s mind
about Shelly’s disability disappeared when she started cutting up with them,
laughing, and sharing what all she’d been doing for twenty-five years.”

Reconnecting with high school friends was important to Shelly. “They were very
accepting of me during high school. Some even helped me get to and from
classes. Now we stay connected on Facebook. If it was not for my work with the No R Word campaign, I might not have had
the opportunity to reconnect with my high school friends. Just another way Wendell
Foster continues to open up a whole new world for me.”

Friday, July 18, 2014

Every Catholic remembers his or her First Communion, a rite of
passage when at six- and seven-years old, you join your church community in becoming
one with the body and blood of Christ. Nicholas needed help from his physical
and speech therapists at Wendell Foster’s Campus to overcome two challenges for
this life-changing spiritual event. In physical therapy (PT), he and Miss Sue
practiced the mechanics of receiving communion. They focused on his approach to
the priest, the proper positioning of his hands to receive the “body of Christ,”
in this case, pieces of torn paper, then his turn to receive the cup of wine.
For two PT sessions, they focused on his body movement to ensure a smooth
transition between these two simple tasks. One of his two challenges down.

Nicholas experiences extensor tone, a movement pattern
causing his body to jerk backwards when anything approaches his face. He also
has dysphagia that interferes with his ability to swallow easily food or
water.Using practice communion wafers
and grape juice in speech therapy, Nicholas actually rehearsed with Miss
Michele receiving the bread and wine. His first goal: eat the communion wafer in
thirty seconds or less so he could drink the wine. His second goal:simply taste the holy wine to his lips, which
is required for first communion, but optional after that. Drinking the wine was
Nicholas’ biggest challenge for a few reasons. First, he has to keep his head
from recoiling when taking the wine goblet to his mouth.Second, he must concentrate on closing his
lips around the goblet rim so he can get the taste of the wine without spilling
it. Finally, he had to overcome his distaste for the fermented grape juice!

With practice and support from both his therapists, his
efforts paid off! Nicholas received his first communion at St. Anthony’s
Catholic Church on May 4th without any problems. He and his family
appreciate the time and effort that Sue and Michele took to help make this
special day a success for Nicholas.

An Invitation

Wendell Foster’s Campus for Developmental Disabilities invites you on a remarkable journey into our community that serves individuals with development disabilities, and their success stories of reaching their dreams and potential!
We take seriously our mission to empower people with developmental disabilities, providing the tools, education, and therapies, so they may enjoy fulfilling lives doing what is important to them. Celebrate with us how lives are changing, and how our Owensboro community benefits from the contributions of these remarkable people. Where empowering and inspiring meet, these heartwarming shares generate awe and gratitude within you, as together we witness the legacy that Wendell and Edith Foster started sixty-seven years ago.
Thank you for joining us in this journey and celebrating those we serve!